Detachable streamer means for use in playing touch football



Nov. 13, 1962 F. E. STEINKAMP 3,063,718

DETACHABLE STREAMER MEANS FOR USE IN PLAYING TOUCH FOOTBALL Filed 000. 10, 1961 INVENTOR. 169627519784 5 dfil/VKFMP BY r ly/rmszszs bade/$1M 312% A a/Win 6- ?EflV/JJ fll'I'OP/YEVJ United States Patent ()fifice 3,063,718 Patented Nov. 13, 1952 3,063,718 DETACHABLE STREAMER MEANS FOR USE IN PLAYING TOUCH FOOTBALL Frederick E. Steinkamp, RED. 4, Charles City, Iowa Filed Oct. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 144,248 1 (Ziaim. c1. 213-55 This invention relates to the playing of football and more particularly to touch football.

Touch football is becoming most popular. However, it is often almost impossible to determine whether or not a touch has been made. Some effort has been made to at least reduce arguments and possibly improper decisions, by the use of handkerchiefs or like tucked under the belt of the players and requiring the removal of same from an opposing player to signify a successful tackle. However, such means for use in playing touch fotball has many objections. The tightness of the belt, or the manner of placement of the handkerchief or like under the belt may well make it most easy to remove it, or on the other hand, most difiicult to remove it. Obviously such non-uniform detachable elements are most unsatisfactory. Also items such as handkerchiefs, towels, or like are not easily seen by either the players or referee.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide detachable streamers or ribbons for the players of touch football.

More specifically, the object of this invention is to provide a belt and one or more ribbon streamers that has or have an adhesive characteristic that detachably clings to the belt.

A further object of this invention is to provide detachable ribbon or streamer for use by players of touch football that is easily seen and interpreted 'by the players, coaches, referees, and observers.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a detachable streamer means for players of touch football that is economical in manufacture, durable in use, and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the upper portion of a streamer and belt, taken from line 1-1 of FIG. 3, except with the streamer detached from the belt for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 2 is a side view of my device in use.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of my device and more fully illustrates its construction, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the buckle portion of the belt.

While I have considered my device particularly adapted for use in playing touch football, it can be successfully used for any tag type of game.

The basic portion of my device is a belt 10, adapted to be worn around the waist of the player. Any suitable buckle may be used but I- prefer the ordinary type having the two rings, 11 and 12, secured to one of the ends of the belt. The free end of the belt is first passed through both rings, thence to the outside of one ring, and thence through and out the other ring as shown in FIG. 3. By such a buckle means the belt will fit different sized players.

I sew or otherwise suitably secure on the outer side of the belt two spaced apart strips 13 and 15. When the belt is in a circular arrangement, such as when being worn, these two strips 13 and 15 will be substantially diametrically opposite from each other at the two sides, respectively, of the wearer. These two strips 13 and 15 have a plurality of closely associated rows of flexible resilient plastic broken loop hook members 16, as shown in FIG. 1. Such strips with the plastic broken loop hooks 16 are not new but are on the market and are used for many purposes. Each loop 16 is broken a distance from its outer end to provide a hook portion. Such strips 13 and 15 will detachably adaere and cling to various types of pile curly fabrics. Such fabrics may be of wool, flexible fine glass strands, flexible fine plastic threads, or like. Preferably the fabric has amass of interwoven kinky strands imposed on a strip 17. Such a strip 17 is old and in use today in conjunction with the strip 13 or 15. When the strip 17 having a mass of strands 19 comes into contact with the plurality of hooks 16 or is pressed onto a strip 13 or 15, the fiber strands 19 become caught or hooked into the catch members 16. The strip 17 will therefore become attached to the strip 13 or 15. However, the strip may be torn from the strip 13 or 15 and this is made possible by the flexible resilient plastic hook members 16, unbending and permitting the removal of the hooked strands of fabric on the strip 17. This removal of a strip 17 produces an audible tearing like noise.

My two ribbon streamers are designated by the numerals 20 and 21, respectively. Sewed or otherwise suitably secured to the upper area of each streamer is a strip 17 having the mass of fabric 19. These two streamers 20 and 21 are detachably secured to the belt by pressing their strip 17 onto the strips 13 and 15 respectively, and as shown in FlG. 1. These ribbon streamers should be of a brilliant color so as to be easily seen. One team Will wear one color of ribbon streamers and the other team will wear a different color. The ribbon streamers may be of any suitable flexible material such as cloth, leather or like. When used in a game or play and an opposing player jerks one or more ribbon streams from a player, and retains the streamer or streams, there can be no argument as to results. The player having the streamer or streamers has in his possession the undisputed evidence. Furthermore, the tearing noise at time of removal from the other player will be audible to all. To begin a new play, all detached streamers are replaced. The belts and streamers are light of weight and of no hindrance or danger to the users.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my detachable streamer means for use in playing touch football without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

1 claim: I

A streamer belt for use in playing tag-like games and adapted to be positioned around the wearers body, said streamer belt comprising a long thin belt portion of flexible material, adjustable buckle means afiixed on one end of said belt portion and adapted to receive and hold the other end of said belt portion at varying points therealong so as to form a loop of an adjustable diameter, elongated flexible streamer means comprising two ribbon-like streamers, said streamers remov-ably attached by connecting means to said belt portion so as to hang on opposite sides of the wearers body, said connecting means comprising a first strip of material fixedly attached to said belt portion, said first strip having a plurality of resiliently deformable hook-shaped elements incorporated therewith, a second strip of material fixedly attached to said streamer means, said second strip having a plurality of loop elements incorporated therewith, said resiliently deformable hook-shaped elements internally engaging said loop elements and thereby connecting said streamer means to said belt portion in a removable manner, so that the forceful separation of said first strip from said second strip causes a tearing sound clearly audible to the wearer of the streamer belt and thereby providing an audible signal of the forceful separation of said streamer means from said belt portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

